Methob of splicing bails



E. J. COOK.

METHOD OF sPucme RAILS.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 16. 1915.

l 1L 93fi3 a. PatentedAug. 1, 1916.

wi tneoow EDWARD J. COOK, OF ROCHESTER, I'TEVJ YORK, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF T0 DONALD E. FALCONER, OF ROCHESTER, NE'W YORK.

METHOD OF SPLIGING RAILS.

Application filed April 16, 1915.

citizen of h My invention relates to a method of j oining track rails, particularly the rails of street railways.

Diliiculty has been encountered in street railway work in so connecting the rails as to avoid what is known as cupped-joints. These cupped joints are usually caused by the action of the wheels on the head of the rail which tends to cold roll the same, throwing a wave of metal ahead of the wheel, so that this wave of metal will broom oil the running-oil rail, resulting in' a short period of time in a cup on the receiving rail. l l hen the track is constructed in a paved street, it is impossible to do any work of maintenance on the joints during the life of the rails without the removal of the pavement at considerable expense.

* it is the ooject ot my invention to pro vide a method of connecting the rails where'- hy the ends 01": adjacent rails are not only drawn close together and firmly held in ti 1i? position, but to also more particularly proride for placing an initial longitudinal coinpression in the ends of the rails which will obviate the dii'liculty mentioned due to the action of the wheels upon the rails.

In the accompanying lrawingss-Figure is a side elevation oi? portions of two rails before they have been joined together. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. 3 is a side elevation of the same rails show ing an: uudrilled bar applied thereto in heated condition for the purpose or indieating thereon the proper position for the holes in carrying out one step of my method. Fig. i is a section on the line li-4 of Fig. 3.

5 is sideelevation of the rails showa drilled splice bar applied thereto, this view being somewhat diagrammatic in character to better explain the method which E employ. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the rails showing a splice bar applied thereto in connected form.

:e parts are represented by similar characters oi reference in the several views.

in carrying out my method in its broad- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ring. it, this.

Serial No. 21,730.

est aspect various means may be employed to obtain the result sought, 2'. 0., that of placing an initial compression in the ends oi the rails. The most simple and practical way now known to me, however, has been shown in the drawings and will now be explained, this means consisting in the employment of splice bars applied in the following manner:

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent portions of adjacent rails shown provided with the usual openings, 3 and 4: respectively, for the reception of the belts or rivets which connect the bars thereto. In the usual way of connecting these bars, the bars are also initially provided with rivet 0r bolt holes which register with the holes in the rails. In my improved method, the splice bars will be initially provided witl holes which will be out of registry with the ail openings, it being necessary, in order to apply the bars to the rails, to first heat and expand the bars for the purpose of bringii'ig the openings therein in registry with the rail openings. The bars are then riveted or bolted to the rails in this heated state, the contraction of the bars in cooling causing the ends of the rails to be drawn ti htly together and an initial compression placed therein.

For the purpose of drilling the openings at the proper places in the bars, av may be made by placing two rails together as closely as they may be laid, such as shown in Fig. 1, applying thereto an undrilled bar, represented by 5, the metal of which has been expanded by heating to a low red. Marks are then placed on this bar, for instance at the intersection of the lines o and 7), to register with the openings 3 and in the rails. After the bar thus marked has cooled, openings are drilled in the same in accordance with the marks and the bar thus drilled may be used as a for the purpose of drilling the holes in the other splice bars.

In Fig. 5 I have shown an unheated splice bar, thus drilled, laid against the rails to illustrate the relative position of the openings of the bar and rails before the bar has been heated, which shows that the openings in the bar are out of registry with those in the rails; the openings in the bar being shown in full lines and those in the rail by dotted lines, the position of the openings relatively to each other, however, being exaggerated somewhat.

It will be understood from this that after having once made a proper ig, commer- V cial splice bars properly drilled may be delivered at the point of installation ready for heating and application. In applying the bars, as before stated they will be heated to the propertemperature to bring their openings in registry with the. rail openings, which heating will expand the metal of the bars. The bars are then connected "with the rails either by hot riveting or bolting as maybe desired, and thebars left to cool, whereupon the contraction of the bar in cooling will pull the ends of the rails v tightly together, as shown in Fig. 6, cansing a compression of the ends or the rails, I the amount of this compression of course varying according to the drilling of the splice bars in relation to the drilling of the webs of the rails, but placing an initial compression strain upon the cross section of the rail within the limits of the splice bar length;

I have demonstrated in a practical way that this method of joining the rails and placing a compression therein will obviate the difficulty mentioned, asthe wave action caused by the wheels will be transmitted from one rail to another without theoretical same and placing an initial longitudinal compression in the ends of said rails.

2. The method of joining rails consisting in applying to the rails a connecting element expanded beyond its normal condition and applying fastening means while said connecting element is in its expanded condition and then permitting said connecting element to" contract for the purpose speci- 3. The method of joining rails consisting in placing an initial longitudinal compression in the ends of the rails by applying thereto a connecting element fastened to said rails while said element is in an expanded condition and then permitting said connecting element to contract.

4. The method of connecting rails consisting in the placing of an initial longi tudinal compression in the rail ends by fastening to same an expanded connecting element, and allowing same thereafter to assume its normal condition, substantially as specified.

5. The method of connecting rails consisting in providing the ends of the rails with openings, applying to the ends of adjacent rails a bar also formed with openings such that when the bar is in a heated state the openings therein will register with the openings in the rails, inserting fastening means through the openings in the bar and rail ends while the bar is in its heated state, and then permitting said bar to cool and contract.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this th day of April, 1915. EDVARD J. COOK. Witnesses:

CLARA M. LAIDLAW, M. J. B. MoCoNNnLL.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

f Washington, I). G. 

